Telekom Austria : Leading in International Climate Protection

Vienna, 20 October 2014

"The CDP rating is considered one of the most important climate protection ratings in the world. Therefore, it is a special distinction for our company to have been ranked third among all participating telecommunications companies in the German-speaking area. We do not only want to live up to our responsibility towards the environment but we also see considerable economic benefits in reducing our energy consumption," said Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO Telekom Austria Group and A1, on the occasion of the Award Ceremony held in Munich (Germany) last Thursday.

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is a nonprofit international organization whose mission is to measure and assess companies' carbon footprint. The annual DACH 350 Climate Change Report analyzes the status quo of a total of 350 listed companies across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In 2014, the Telekom Austria Group has been able to improve their disclosure score of 74 to 93 points and the performance score from C to B, through sustainable corporate management and targeted measures.

"With a CDP score of 93 B, the Telekom Austria Group has demonstrated mature understanding of climate change, putting in place exemplary structures and measures to fight it. Thanks to this achievement, Telekom Austria also ranks among this year's Sector Leaders of the telecommunications industry in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) as well as among Austria's Country Leaders," said Susan Dreyer, Director CDP DACH Region.

With regard to the group-wide sustainability management, the Telekom Austria Group continued to achieve great results: despite rising data volumes and even better services for its customers, the Telekom Austria Group succeeded in further reducing overall energy consumption in 2013 compared to the previous year. By rolling out full-coverage infrastructure for video conferencing, air travel was reduced by -20%. In addition, total fuel consumption and electricity usage were cut by -2% and -1% respectively, while paper consumption was reduced by -6% thanks to awareness-raising measures and implementation of follow-me printers.

Individual measures were also put in place in the single operating markets of the Telekom Austria Group. In Austria, for instance, A1 currently operates the first and only carbon neutral network of the country. In Slovenia, Si.mobil is considered a green economy showcase company and received an award for its eco vehicle fleet in 2013. In Croatia, Vipnet equipped additional base stations with hybrid energy supply systems.

Sustainability is increasingly gaining in importance also on the global financial markets. Once considered a niche product, it has now developed into an investment strategy. Corresponding indexes, such as for instance the STOXX Global ESG Leaders, offer investors simple, transparent and traceable access to green financial products. Thanks to its sustainability performance, the Telekom Austria Group was included in this index as of September 2014.

"The financial crisis has led to a rethinking on the capital markets as demonstrated by the trend towards sustainability-oriented indexes. Thus, investors can targetedly invest their money in companies that attach great value to our environment. Against this backdrop, I'm particularly delighted that the Telekom Austria Group can be integral part of this paradigm shift," concluded Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO Telekom Austria Group and A1.

Telekom Austria Group's Sustainability Report presents the company's sustainability strategy.